The Southern Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day Conference celebrates its 15^th Anniversary on October 29, 2015.  The annual event provides expert occupational safety and health management resources for employers of all sizes and industries.

The conference offers breakout sessions and networking opportunities with speakers and vendors from industry, higher education and regulatory agencies.  It is a venue to learn about best practices and ask questions of peers and compliance agents about how standards are practically applied.

Results of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, canvassing more than 1,600 leading experts on the Internet and computer systems and networks, predicted that a major industrial cyberattack will occur sometime within the next 10 years that will cause widespread harm to America’s security and welfare. “Widespread harm” was defined as significant loss of life or property losses/damage/theft in the tens of billions of dollars.

The International Society of Automation (ISA)—a global leader in industrial automation and control system (IACS) cybersecurity standards and compliance, training and certificate programs; and an official IMEC partner—is working with the US government and leaders throughout industry to increase awareness of growing cyberthreats and to underscore how to best combat them.

Written by Lori Amerman, IMEC Operations Specialist  and OSHA authorized trainer

There is one thing for sure about Illinois weather, it is always changing. We have made it through the snow and ice hazards and are now in the Midwest tornado season. In order to keep your organization safe from weather threats, here are a few reminders in preparedness:

There are new reporting requirements from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).  (https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping2014/index.html)

Under the OSHA Recordkeeping regulation (29 CFR 1904), Illinois manufacturers with 10 employees are required to prepare and maintain records of occupational injuries and illnesses, using the OSHA 300 Log. This information is important for employers, workers and OSHA in evaluating the safety trends of a workplace, understanding industry hazards, and implementing worker protections to eliminate or reduce hazards.

All employers must report:

1. All work-related fatalities within 8 hours
2. All work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations and all losses of an eye within 24 hours

Report to OSHA by:

1. Calling OSHA’s free and confidential number at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)
2. Calling your closest Area Office during normal business hours
3. Using an online form that will soon be available

It is also a good time to review emphasis programs and compare to your facility's current state.

Did you know that Twenty-Five Percent of businesses never reopen after a severe weather event, and that a recent UN report estimates that inaction on climate change could cost $100 billion a year? You may think that this is a worry for coastal businesses and those on fault lines, but less than a year ago, an Illinois town was decimated by a tornado in November. The town has since made strides to recovery, but climate change affects all of us.

Southern Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day (SIOSH) - Temporary Workers Initiative Feature Blog

Written by Lori Amerman, IMEC Operations Coordinator and OSHA Authorized Trainer

A series of blogs will be produced to share resources on the topics to be presented.  This should help prepare company safety teams to gain a better understanding of tools available and prepare staff.

Register online!

At the SIOSH Conference on October 30^th, Brandy Lozosky, Illinois Department of Labor will address the question: who is responsible for the safety and health of temporary workers? This session focuses on the employer’s responsibility to protect temporary workers. They will provide a clear understanding of both the host employer’s and the staffing agencies role in complying with workplace health and safety requirements.

Written by Lori Amerman, IMEC Operations Coordinator and OSHA Authorized Trainer

A series of blogs will be produced to share resources on the topics to be presented.  This should help prepare company safety teams to gain a better understanding of tools available and prepare staff.

Southern Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day

Register online!

At the SIOSH Conference on October 30^th, Karl Armstrong, OSHA will provide a review of several Illinois workplace fatality investigations and uncover:  What happened?  Why?  How could it have been prevented?  What did OSHA do?  You will gain valuable insight on how OSHA fatality investigations work and how to improve you workplace’s safety and health to prevent deaths on the job.

Written by Lori Amerman, IMEC Operations Coordinator and OSHA Authorized Trainer

The Southern Illinois Occupational Safety & Health (SIOSH) Day conference will be on October 30^th in Carterville, Illinois.  We are excited to announce a full line up of presentations from the U.S. Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health programs.

A series of blogs will be produced to share resources on the topics to be presented.  This should help prepare company safety teams to gain a better understanding of tools available and prepare staff.

REGISTER NOW for SIOSH Day 2014